Apparatus for attaching flexible tie elements to the edge of thin sheets or web structures



Feb. 12, 1957 SPAHR 2,781,009

APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING FLEXIBLE TIE ELEMENTS TO THE EDGE OF THIN SHEETSOR WEB STRUCTURES Filed Nov. 27, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet i I N l/E/V 70R;HAM; SPA R FGIL'IZ, 1957 SPAHR 2,781,009

APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING FLEXIBLE TIE ELEMENTS TO THE EDGE OF THIN SHEETSOR WEB STRUCTURES Filed Nov. 27, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VP 7' 6/? Hena SPA/1R M W gg Unite States Patent APPARATUS FDR ATTACHING FLEXIBLE TIEELERENTS TO THE EDGE OF THIN SHEETS OR WEB STRUCTURES Hans Spahr,Zurich, Switzerland Application November 27, 1953, Serial No. 394,791

Claims priority, application Switzerland November 28, 1952 11 Claims.(Cl. 112--169) The present application relates to an apparatus forfeeding a filament to the edge of web material, such as the selvage ofpiece goods, and for thereafter transforming said filament to astringing tag.

In U. S. Patent No. 2,685,265 there is described and shown an apparatusfor attaching flexible tie or tag elements to the edge of thin sheet orWeb structures, comprising a rest or support for the structure to betreated, and two working needles movable in intercrossing tracks, oneneedle serving to penetrate the structure while taking along the tieelement which has been set ready in a direction at right angles to theneedle track, for the purpose of producing an open loop having an ear orbight situated on the underside of the structure. The apparatus furthercomprises an erector means destined to tilt the ear formed over thecorresponding edge of the structure, to erect said ear and thus put itin the track of the second needle, the latter serving to fetch one ofthe two loop legs by having a reciprocation imparted thereto, and todraw said leg through the ear for the purpose of closing the loop.

My present invention relates to a further form of said apparatus, whichconsists in mounting the mechanism in a housing which is directly formedas a handle adapted to he gripped by the operators hand and comprising amovable portion forming a part of the control means. Said movableportion is actuatable by closing the operators hand which is graspingthe housing, against the action of a spring force, in order to operatethe apparatus.

One form of my present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings,in which:

Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section through the ap-' paratus,

Fig. 2 depicts another longitudinal section along the line II-ll of Fig.3 through the apparatus of which certain parts have been omitted for thesake of clarity,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 2, partly in section on the line IIIHIof Pig. 2, 1

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a portion of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 shows a portion of the apparatus in section on line VV of Figs. 1and 2,

Fig. 6 is a section on the line VIVI of Fig. 4 on an enlarged scale, and

Fig. 7 illustrates a part section on the line VII-VII of Fig. 3 on anenlarged scale.

The housing or" the apparatus shown comprises two parallel sidewalls 11and 12 spaced by webs 13 to 15. A portion 16 or the housing is movablyformed with respect to the remaining housing and for such purpose ispivoted on a pin 17 to the sidewalls 11 and 12. On the side opposite themovable housing portion 16, which in the operative position of theapparatus is the lower side, the housing further comprises a cover plate18. The housing described is directly formed as a handle adapted to begripped by the operators hand in that, for example, the thumb of theright hand grasps over the movable portion 16 while thecover 18 rests inthe remaining four fingers of said hand. By closing the hand grippingthe housing, the movable portion 16 may be ice 2 swung downwardlyagainst the action of two tension springs 19 which aim to move saidportion upwardly. A stop 26 (Figs. 1 and 4) secured to sidewall 11limits the upward movement of said portion 16.

In the front portion of the housing, i. e. that portion which in Figs. 1to S is situated on the right, a pin 21 is guided in a longitudinallyslidable relation. Said pin carries at its lower end a needle 22 whichserves as first working element on the apparatus and provided with acatch recess 23 which is accessible from the front. A second needle 24which functions as second working element, is secured to the front endof a pin 25 which is disposed at right angles to pin 21 and islongitudinally movable in recesses of web 14 and a guide angle 26. Theneedle 24 is provided with a rearwardly directed hook which co-operateswith a pivoted pawl 27 (Fig. 5). Pin 21 is vertically movable andprovided with a longitudinal groove 23 in which is engaged, as shown inFig. 1, one arm 29 of a lever which further includes two arms 36 and 31.Said lever 29, 3t), 31 is mounted on an axle 32 which is secured betweenthe sidewalls 11 and 12. That end of arm 29 which is engaged in thegroove 28, is forked and coupled to pin 21 by means of a stud 33. Thefree end of arm is engaged by a tension spring 34 of which the other endis anchored to web 14 and tends to swing the lever 29, 30, 31 so thatpin 21 together with needle 22 is moved upwardly. To arm 31 is pivoted acam roller 35 which coacts with a cam plate 36. The latter, togetherwith a second cam plate 37, is rotatably mounted on a shaft 38, said twocam plates being interconnected for rotation.

A lever having two arms 39, 40 is pivoted also on axle 32. Arm 39carries a rotatable cam roller 41 which peripherally contacts cam plate37. The other arm 49 comprises a forked portion 42 in which is engaged across-pin of pin 25 whereby the latter is coupled to lever 39, 40. Arm40 is engaged by one end of a tension spring 43 of which the other endis anchored to web 14. Cam plate 37 carries a laterally projectingfollower 44 which, when plate 37 rotates, coacts with a cam faceprovided on arm 40.

Further on shaft 38 is rotatably mounted a pinion 46 which is coupled tothe two cam plates 36, 37 by means of a ratchet pawl (not shown) sothat, when pinion 46 rotates in direction of arrow B in Fig. 2, the saidcam plates also are rotated, but the latter stand still when the pinionis driven in the opposite direction. Pinion 46 meshes with a rim-gearsegment 47 which is fixed to the movable housing portion 16 and iscurved concentrically to pin 17 so as to permit driving of the pinion 46by swinging the housing portion 16 downwardly. A pawl 49 is pivoted on apin 48 to the sidewall 11, as shown in Fig. 2. Pawl 49 comprises a lug50 which coacts with pinion 46, and is engaged by a tension spring 51anchored to web 14. Said spring urges lug 50 into engagement with pinion46 in order to prevent the latter from rotating in a direction oppositeto arrow P. To cam plate 36 is fixed a lateral follower 52 adapted toco-operate with a lug 53 of pawl 49 in order to disengage the latterfrom pinion 46.

Thefoiward, i. e. right-hand portion, of the apparatus comprises a restor support 54 below the track of needle 22, which is secured to thesidewalls 11, 12 by means of cars 55 and is provided with a recess forthe passage of needle 22. Below said rest 54 is disposed an erectormeans 56 in form of a U-shaped bracket of which the two legs passthrough a slot 57 in sidewall 11, which slot serves as guide. One leg ofbracket.56 on its free end carries a small hook 58 whilst the other legis clamped in an adjusting ring 60 and pivoted to one end of a slidemember 61. The other end of the latter is pivoted to one arm 62 of abell crank'62, 63' pivoted on axle 32;

i 'A tension spring 64 at one end engages the arm 62 and,

at the other end, the web '14 and tends to so rotate the bell crank 62,63 that slide 61 and erector 37 are moved to the right inFigs. 1 'to' 5.Two follower pins fixed laterally to earn plate 36, which are not shownin the drawings, coact with arm 63 and a nose 65 of arm 62 respectivelyin order to swing the bell crank in one or the other direction.

' On an axle 66 fixed to the sidewalls 11, 12 is pivoted a second bellcrank which has two arms 67 and 63. Arm 68 carries a presser'69 disposedabove the rest 54 (Figs.

' 2 and which is apertured for the passage of the two needles 22 and 24.Arm 67 may be so rotated, by depressing the housing portion 16 andthrough an actuating V cam 70 secured thereto, that the presser 69 ismoved towards the rest 54. A spring, not shown, causes the bell crank67, 68 to swing in the other direction. 7

Two plates 71 and 72 standing at right angles to needle 22 are secured,at some distance from each'other to the sidewalls 11 and 12 above thepresser 69 and the rest 54. Both these plates are provided withapertures for the passage of needle 22 and pin 21. Between the twoplates 731, 72 is inserted a box (Figs. 3. and 6) consisting of twodetachably interconnected parts 73 and 74 which surround a spool 75 of afilamentary structure. Said spool is, for example, a self-supportingcross-wound bobbin and may be unwound from the inside. The unwound tendsto swing the lever so that the movable knife 99 moves downwardly. Arm105 further projects into the track of lever 93 so as to be actuable bythe latter. The

'thin sheet or web structure, for example to the selvage of a fabric,said selvage is, introduced between the rest 54 and the presser 69. Theoperator then closes his hand which grips the housing of-the apparatus,whereby the movable housing portion 16 is depressed and pinion 46 athrough gear segment 47 is rotated in the sense of arrow filament runsthrough a central hole 77 of the boxcover 74 and between the box and thelower plate 71 thereof. The box part 73 has a bight 78 into whichprotrudes a ball 79 which projects through a hole in the upper plate 72and, under the action of a spring 80, presses and holds the box 73, 74against the lower plate thereof. The spring is secured to plate 72 bymeans of a screw 81. One arm 82 of a lever 82, 83 engages half 7 thecircumference of the spool box. Said lever is pivoted on the pin ofscrew 81 so that, by actuating the arm 83 which serves as handle, thespool box may be pushed forwardly between the plates 71, 72 by means ofthe curved arm 32. A spring 84 draws the lever 82, 83 into itsineffective position, in which the arm'82 abuts against a stop 85secured to plate 71.

. A spindle 86' is rotatably mounted between the two plates 71 and 72 inparallel relation with needle 22 and in its lower half portion is formedas a pinion. The latter meshes with a gear segment 87 which is pivotedona pin 88 to the vplate 71. One end of spring 84 engages segment 87 andurges the latter in one direction. Segment 87 further is operativelyconnected to a lever arm 90 through a link 89, which arm is pivoted on.anaxle 91 fixed to the sidewalls 11 and 12. Lever 90 through a web 92is connected to a second lever 93 extending parallel thereof startscoaction with web 92, whereupon the levers 90 and 92 are moved andsegment 87 is actuated. To spindle 86 is fixed an arm 94 which at itsfree end is formed as hook 95. In the positionof rest of the variousparts, said hook is situated close to the spool box 73, 74, but when thehousing portion ,16 has been fully depressed, said hook is in theposition shown by dash-anddot lines in Fig. 3. Further, guide pins 96for the filament "are provided on the lower plate 71.

Below plate 71, a stationary knife 98 of a .pair of scissors is securedto sidewall 12 by me'ansof a piece of angle iron 97, which scissorsfurther include a movable knife blade 99. The two knives 98, 99 aredisposed 'on the angle 97 by means of two screws 100 and 101, and themovable knife99 comprises two vertical slots through which pass the saidscrews. Alug 103 of knifef99 projects through a slot in sidewalllZ intothe housing of the apparatus and is pivoted onone and 104 of a two: armlever 104, 105 which is pivoted on a screw 106 to sidewa1l12. The otherarm 105 ofsaid lever is engaged P in Fig. 2. Immediately aftercommencement of the swinging movement of housing portion 16, theactuating cam 79 thereof, moves the arm 67 so that the presser69 isapplied to the fabric and holds the latter by pressing it against therest 54. On rotation of pinion 46, the cam plates '36 and 37 are alsorotated. Cam plate 36 thereby controls the levers 29, 30, 31 so thatpin21 with needle 22 is moved downwardly. The thread 76 running fromspool 75 passes, in the position of rest or the apparatus, fromspool box73, 74. in front of the guide pins 96 and of needle 22 to clamp 98, 109through whichthe'end of the thread is retained. When needle 22 is movingdownwardly, it takes through its recess 23 the freed thread downwardlyapproximately at the midpoint thereof, thereby forming an open loop.When needle 22 penetrates the fabric, the ear or bight portion of theloop comes to lie on the'fabric underside. Through a lateral follower ofcam plate 36, not shown, the arm 63 of the bell crank 62, 63 is swungdownwardly so that the slide 61 in Figs. 1 and 2 moves to the left. Thestirrup-like erector'56 thereby is moved in guide 57, hook 58 seizingone leg of the ear formed by the thread and taking same along. Thelooper needle 22 now moves upwardly again. In the curved portion of the.guideway 57 that leg of erector 56 is moved upwardly which is providedwith book 58, the ear being tilted and erected aroundjthe fabric selvageandsimultaneouslyopened. Follower 44 of cam plate 37 then runs up on thecurved portion 45 of arm 40, whereby pin 25 with needle 24 is sprungforwardly. Needle 24 therebyemoves into the erected ear of thethreaded-loop and through its nose engages the two legs of thethread-loop from the rear. Cam plate 37 then through arm 39 moves pin 25with needle 24 back into its initial position, the needle pulling thetwo legs of the thread-loop through the ear thereof. The movable pawl 27of needle. 24 prevents the needle-hook from being seized by thethread-loop ear;

Even during the return movement of needle 24, the actuating cam 70 ofthe movable housing portion '16 starts to act on web 92 to thereby movethe two arms and 93. Segmental gear 87 thereby is moved against theaction of spring .84 so that spindle '86 is rotated through that portionthereof which is formed as pinion.

Arm 94.thus is moved frornthe position shown in Fig. 3

responding length of thread from said spool. One leg of 7 this loopthrough the hookis guided into notch 108 of knife 98, and the other legbeing guided underneath the clamping spring 109. 'Arm 93 in the meantimehas contacted arm 105, lever 104, thus being moved while the housingportion 16 is moving further downwardly. The movable knife 99- therebyis moved upwardly so that the thread running through notch 108, whichthread is a portign of one leg of the loop formed by needle 22, is cutoa The operator at this point may let the housing portion 16 swingupwardly under the action of the two springs 19. The two cam plates 36and 37 which previously have performed a full revolution, thereby remainat rest owing to said ratchet pawl clutch, whilst knife 99, arm 94 andpresser 69 return to their initial positions. The fabric now can bewithdrawn from the apparatus, together with the closed thread-loopformed by the latter, such loop being situated at the selvage. Theapparatus then is ready for producing a new loop, as the thread issuingfrom the spool is clamped between the spring 199 and the back of thestationary knife 98 and passes in front of the looper needle 22.

A closed loop thus may be produced by simply pressing down the housingportion 16. By mean of the apparatus described and shown it thus ispossible to tie a plurality of such loops in a second, whereas the sameoperation performed by hand requires close to thirty seconds.

Through the pressure of spring 80 on the spool box 73, 74 the thread 76leaving the spool is clamped to some extent between box portion 74 andplate '71 so as to brake the speed of the thread.

It the movable housing portion 16 in the course of its downward movementis let loose, it cannot swing upwardly again owing to the action of pawl49 and lug 59 thereof. When the apparatus is in its position of rest,follower 52 of cam plate 37 pushes the pawl upwardly to its inoperativeposition, as shown in Fig. 2. As soon as, however, the housing portion16 starts to move downwardly, follower 52 moves away from lug 53 and thepawl enters into action and is active until follower 52 again engagesthe lug 53 after a complete revolution of the two cam plates. This isthe case when the housing portion 16 has been entirely depressed. Oncean operation has been started in the apparatus, it logically must becompleted, thereby avoiding derangements of the mechanism and the like.

According to the description herein, the movable housing portion 16together with the cam plates 36, 37 and the levers 2Q, 36, 31, 39-40 and6263, may be assigned to the control means which permit the logicalsequence of motions of the two working elements 22 and 24 and of theerector 56.

The apparatus described, in contradistinction to known devices, whichserve for the same or related purpose, has the advantages of compactconstruction and fully automatic operation. The apparatus is very handyand even when used for longer periods of operation, does not cause anysigns of fatigue in the hand of the operator.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention and it is intended that suchobvious changes and modifications be embraced by the annexed claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an apparatus for feeding a filament to the selvage of web materialand transforming said filament to a stringing tag and having mechanismincluding a first reciprocable needle for moving said filament throughsaid selvage and forming a loop thereon, further having erector means totilt said loop about said selvage, and a second reciprocable needleoperable for threading a portion of said filament through said loop toobtain said tag; a housing for said mechanism, said housing conformingapproximately to the palm of an operators hand and including a fixedportion, in which said mechanism is mounted and a movable portionpivotally secured to said fixed portion, spring means normally urgingsaid movable portion away from said fixed portion, and means operativelyconnecting said movable portion with said mechanism, whereby upongrasping said machine and closing the hand against the action of saidspring means said movable portion is displaced relative to said fixedportion to actuate in sequence said first needle, said erectoi means andsaid second needle. 7

2. In an apparatus according to claim 1, said erector means includingslide means provided with a guide slot, and a stirrup having a pair oflegs, one of said legs being pivoted to said slide means, the other ofsaid legs extending through said guide slot and terminating in a hook,said hook serving to open said loop upon actuation of said erectormeans.

3. In an apparatus according to claim 1, including a plate on said fixedhousing portion, a box including a cover on said plate, a supply spoolfor said filament within said box, said cover being provided with a holefor passage of said filament therethrough and thence between said boxand said plate, and means urging said box against said plate.

4. In an apparatus according to claim 3, said box being provided with arecess, said urging means including a ball disposed in said recess.

5. In an apparatus according to claim 4, including a lever arm pivotedto said plate, said lever arm holding said box in position, whereby saidbox may be removed for replacement upon actuation of said lever arm.

6. In an apparatus according to claim 1, including a support for saidselvage, said operatively connecting means including actuating cam meanson said movable portion for holding said selvage on said support uponpivoting of said movable portion in one direction against the action ofsaid spring means, rim-gear segment means on said movable portion, ashaft on said fixed portion of said housing and extending transverselyof the latter, pinion means rotatably supported onsaid shaft andoperatively engaging said rim-gear segment means for rota tion uponpivoting of said movable portion in said one direction, and cam platemeans rotatably supported on said shaft and operatively connected withsaid mechanism, said pinion means engaging said cam plate means fordriving the latter.

7. In an apparatus according to claim 6, including ratchet pawl meansactuated by said pinion means and engaging said cam plate means forrotating the latter upon pivoting of said movable portion in said onedirection, said ratchet pawl means being inefiective upon pivoting ofsaid movable portion in return direction, and means on said cam platemeans for disengaging said pawl means and said pinion means uponpredetermined pivoting of said movable portion in said one direction.

8. In an apparatus according to claim 7, said operatively connectingmeans further including an axle rotatably supported on said fixedhousing portion and extending in parallel direction to said firstneedle, further pinion means on said axle, gear segment means pivotallymounted on said fixed housing portion and meshing with said furtherpinion means, second spring means urging said gear segment means in onedirection, first lever means pivoted to said fixed housing portion andcoupled with said gear segment means in opposition to said second springmeans, said first lever means being operatively coupled with saidactuating cam means on said movable housing portion.

9. In an apparatus according to claim 8, including spool means forholding a continuous filament for forming said tags, clamp means forholding an end of said filament extending from said spool means adjacentsaid first needle means, scissor means for cutting said filament uponstringing of a tag, and a follower arm on said axle and terminating in ahook for engagement with said filament, whereby following actuation ofsaid second needle means, said hook of said follower arm advances alength of said filament to said clamp, said scissor means cutting saidfilament to complete stringing of one tag, said clamp means holdinguncut filament in readiness for further tag stringing.

10. in an apparatus according to claim 9, said scissor means including amovable knife and a stationary knife,

7 said clamp means including a spring'cooperating with said stationaryknife.

11. -In an apparatus according to claim 10," said op erativelyconnecting means further including second lever means pivoted on saidfixed housing portion and actuated by said first lever means, saidsecond lever means engaging said movable knife, whereby actuation ofsaid second lever means displaces said movable knife to cut saidfilament. I

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS SuckSept. 8, 1903 Coleman Sept. 17, 1912 Axelstrom Feb. 1, 1916 Roberts Jan.18, 1921 Rantanen May 16, 1950 Spahr Aug. '3, 1954

